Guatemala for first-timers

With its diverse indigenous culture, rich Maya heritage and colonial charm, Guatemala is an intoxicating adventure for both the jaded and novice traveler. That said, visiting for the first time can be a daunting experience. Embassy warnings, economic hardships and a bewildering range of things to see and do can be off-putting.

Should you be worried? No! Guatemala’s a very accessible, welcoming country and with a bit of planning and the right smarts, you’re in for an enchanting ride. Here’s Lonely Planet’s classic itinerary and insider tips for the perfect, hassle-free first-timer’s trip.

Antigua

A gorgeous colonial masterpiece, Antigua is a highlight for most travelers to Guatemala. The town has jaw-dropping streetscapes at every turn, an excellent selection of restaurants and a small but varied nightlife. It’s also a great place to brush up on your Spanish in one of the town’s myriad language schools, and to use as a base to hike the volcanoes that loom over the town.

Tip: Antigua is a party town for Guatemala City dwellers on the weekends. Midweek is quieter, so plan your stay according to what you’re looking for.

Lake Atitlán

Lauded by everybody from Aldous Huxley (‘too much of a good thing’) to this writer’s mum (‘Why don’t you live here?’), the volcano-framed shimmering blue waters of Lake Atitlán have been dazzling travelers for generations. The lake is ringed by villages both quaint and bustling, with plenty of interesting options for places to stay.

Locals and tourists alike get their kicks at Lake Atitlán. Image by Jeremy Woodhouse / Getty

Tip: It’s tempting to stay a couple of nights here, a couple of nights there, but boat rides between villages are fast and cheap – save on time and logistics by settling in one place and visiting other villages by boat on day trips.

Chichicastenango

A short hop up the road from Atitlán is Chichicastenango, famous for its Thursday and Sunday markets. A photographer’s dream, the markets are full of color and movement, with household items, traditional weavings, tourist knick-knacks, medicinal herbs and religious artifacts all squeezed into the tiny stalls that take over the central plaza.

Another fascinating aspect of the town is the merging of religion that can be witnessed – here Maya religion and Catholicism blend seamlessly. The Santo Tomas church is only really Catholic by name – Mayan priests use it for traditional rituals, and even the 18 steps leading up to the church symbolize the number of months in the Maya calendar.

Tip: Avoid the whirlwind day trip on offer from travel agencies and stay in town the night before the market. Getting up early and watching vendors set up is almost as interesting as the market itself.

Tikal

One of Guatemala’s absolute must-sees, Tikal rates among the most impressive archaeological sites in the Maya world. Relatively easy to get to, expansive in size and hugely atmospheric, the site rarely disappoints – even if it’s packed out with tour groups (which it probably will be).

Tip: To get the most out of the site, consider staying at one of the hotels within the park and arranging a guide to go on a sunrise or sunset tour.

Semuc Champey

For places of natural beauty in Guatemala, it’s hard to beat Semuc Champey. A series of limestone pools connected by a cascading river and surrounded by jungle, this is one of Guatemala’s best freshwater swimming spots and the range of caving and rafting opportunities in the surrounding area has earned it a solid place on the backpacker trail.

Tip: Semuc Champey is in a remote location, but its popularity means you can get here by shuttle bus from nearly anywhere in the country. Do check your travel times, though – sitting in a cramped minibus for 12 hours is probably not your idea of the perfect trip.

Planning

For the perfect itinerary, you could loop around from Guatemala City to Antigua, then Lake Atitlán and on to Semuc Champey, ending your trip with Tikal and then back to Guatemala City. Don’t fall into the first-timers’ trap of trying to squeeze too much into too little time: to do all those places justice and not end up completely frazzled, you’ll need about two weeks, but you could obviously stretch that out to months.

Tip: Budget at least two days in each destination, with a full day for travel for all but the shortest hops – it’s better to end up with time on your hands than spend your entire trip looking out a bus window.

Arriving

Arriving at Guatemala City’s Aurora international airport can be overwhelming. Relax – there’s a lot of bad stuff that’s been said about the capital in the past, but these days the city’s a lot more traveler-friendly. Nevertheless, you might want to leave off exploring it until the end of your trip once you have your street smarts firmly in place.

Onward transport options from the airport abound, especially if you’re heading for nearby Antigua. Shuttle (private minibus) operators congregate around the Arrivals exit, calling out ‘Antigua’ – if you’re traveling solo, a shuttle is the way to go. If you’re in a group, a taxi is a better option.

Tip: If you need some quetzales, don’t change cash in the unpredictable exchange booths in the airport – go upstairs to departures and look for the 5B ATM hidden sneakily under the stairs.

Hanging off the back of an open-sided truck might sound like fun, but buses are a safer means of transport in Guatemala. Image by Uros Ravbar / Getty

Transport

Guatemala serves up a near-bewildering range of transport options. Where possible, first class and Pullman (greyhound-style) buses are preferable; cheaper ‘chicken buses’ go almost everywhere but are slower and aren’t considered safe to use at night. The only regular domestic flights connect Guatemala City and Santa Elena (gateway to Tikal).

Latest Reviews

A wonderful experience! Mayan Gateway helped us plan our vacation in Guatemala and we could not have made a better choice. From the first time we contacted them the response was prompt and during our trip everything was extremely well organized. Each of the members of the Mayan Gateway agency were courteous, professional, friendly and very knowledgeable. We highly recommend their services and we look forward to working with them in future adventures.
James and Dora

Josue was very helpful in getting the last details of a group trip together. He made it easy for us to find our hotel in Antigua and our driver was promptly on time at 4:00am the next morning to take us to the airport to catch a very early flight!
Great communication and superb service - highly recommended! Since my organization brings groups down once or twice a year, I will be using his services in the future!

The staff at Mayan Gateway helped us plan and coordinated the logistics for 10 weeks of travel throughout Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica (January-March 2019). The trip was wonderful, and the staff at Mayan Gateway were knowledgeable, helpful, and very responsive. We would not hesitate to travel with their assistance again.

I cannot recommend Mayan Gateway more!
We booked a 16 day tour of Guatemala for my 80 year old mother and myself and they were extraordinary! Every hotel was perfect, our driver and guide was so very kind. The day tours were perfectly pitched with knowledgeable local guides and the constant, easy communication with Josue was amazing and so reassuring when we were travelling all the way from South Africa.
We were blown away by the level and quality of every part of our trip and will be recommending them to every friend (of every age group and size).
It could not have been a better or smoother holiday.

We've traveled to over 50 countries, in both small and larger groups. Mayan Gateway's communication and attention to detail, both before and during our trip, is second to none. The guides were all well-prepared and, in our case, extremely knowledgable about birds and history, which is what we had requested. If we ever go to Guatemala, we will make sure to hire Mayan Gateway again.

We highly recommend this travel agency. They were not only extremely professional but very caring and attentive to our every need. We felt very welcome from beginning to end. The team that accompanied us throughout our 10-day trip to Guatemala made sure we were very comfortable. They went above and beyond to ensure our stay was excellent in terms of lodging, food and experiences. We will forever cherish our time with them and our memories during our travels through Guatemala.

We took a group of youth missionaries to Guatemala and ELI was our guide .... it was one of the greatest experiences for the you and the adults, from hiking volcanoes , to zip lining , boating on Lake Atilan, and visiting the little ladies on who make things for the markets. I live in North Carolina and our kids were from all over the USA and everyone in the group had nothing but positive to say. Two thumbs up ELI

Last July we went on a great tour with Mayan Gateway with 3 adults. The tour was on one word excellent. The accommodations and activities were very nice and of a high standard. The drivers were very friendy and helpfull. The biggest plus of this company is the flawless way of communicating. Our contact provided us each day with detailled information of what time, which driver will pick us up and what stuff to bring. We never had to wait or search for a driver. This kind of punctuality and perfection is hard to find in the tourism industry. So a very big recommendation for Mayan Gateway

We had a wonderful experience on our trip to Tikal with Mayan Gateway. They setup a WhatsApp group and were very responsive to questions. They arranged our flights, accommodation, bus travel and guide. Tikal was awe inspiring, and our trip was made especially enjoyable by our very knowledgeable guide, Julio, who indulged our many questions about Mayan civilization and culture.

I booked a Central America Tour during the Holy Week this year with Mayan Gateway. The experience was amazing, I will not hesitate to use them again when I travel to other parts of central America next time.
Josue who constant communicated the detail of the tour with me and tailored it to my needs. And most of the tour within Guatemala was conducted by the guide/driver named Eli, who has rich knowledge of Mayan history and I certainly learnt a lot from him. Travelling to Honduras, El Salvador and Belize was also smooth, they always make sure there is a English speak guide/person with me in case there is any problems.

The trip was off the charts! I couldn't believe how many Mayan temples and structures were there - all within walking distance of each other. It was like walking into a parallel universe - like you were going 2000 years back in time.
Definitely one of the coolest things I've ever done. Mayan Gateway Tours were awesome. Our tour guide spoke amazing english and knew everything about the area and the ruins.
I couldn't have asked for a better experience.